NS Savannah in Drydock, November 17, 2019

This 181.66×23.77m (596x78ft) nuclear powered cargo ship was built in 1959 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. She was built to demonstrate the peaceful use of nuclear power and carried 14,040 tons of cargo and 60 passengers with a crew of 124. Some info from Wikipedia. See also the NS Savannah Association website.

The Nuclear Ship Savannah was moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be drydocked for routine hull maintenance and structural modification to the ship’s cargo holds to support future decommissioning work involving the remaining components of the ship’s nuclear power plant according to a posting by the Maritime Administration’s Facebook page.

She will return to Baltimore after this work is completed. Click here to view my blog post on her departure from Baltimore, Maryland.

Click here to view my blog on this ship back in May during National Maritime Day. She can be seen rising high out of the water with her multicolored atom on her sides. That blog also includes views of some interior areas.

She is undergoing her drydocking at Philadelphia Ship Repair at what is known as the Navy Yard, formerly a base, now a combination of industrial, commercial, and public spaces.

A small handful of us were permitted to come view this beauty while in drydock. The initial view to those familiar with this ship is a little odd with her familiar multicolored atom now closer to eye level to someone on the ground.

Coming closer to the drydock and looking down a view of what is normally below water can be seen with the Savannah now being supported by large blocks.

Unexpectedly she loses none of her majesty in this somewhat undignified position. It can be seen that her sleek and swooping lines extend below water level.

A moment of pause should be given to admire the drydock plug holding back the Delaware River. When at the bottom of the drydock the idea that you’re standing on the bottom of what is occasionally the river bottom flashes to mind.

Moving closer to the ship and looking up it is impressive how large she looks, though by modern standards she is a smaller ship. The lower part of her hull had been cleaned of paint and multicolored markings relating to the work that is to be done were present.

Walking along between the ship and the drydock wall it is interesting to ponder all of the engineering challenges that needed to be overcome to accomplish everything here.

At the stern of the ship she can be seen to be lacking her propeller.

Climbing back out of the drydock and glancing back toward her she never fails to impress with her beauty from any angle.

The drydock, not the largest on site, can accommodate ships much larger than the Savannah, but it is doubtful one as beautiful will appear here. Take a quick journey along through the drydock in my video below!

I took many more photos of her in drydock, click here to check them out!